


Finding Out

by dbskyler



Category: Doctor Who, Sarah Jane Adventures
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-13
Updated: 2012-07-13
Packaged: 2017-11-09 21:59:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/458907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dbskyler/pseuds/dbskyler
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>22/04/11, 5:02 p.m.  Sarah finds out about the Doctor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Finding Out

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for Doctor Who Series 6 and Sarah Jane Adventures Series 5.
> 
> This is a work of fan fiction, offered freely. Doctor Who, Sarah Jane Adventures, and all characters belong to the BBC.

Sarah was awake and up the stairs before sunrise, as she was now every morning. She didn't have to tell Mr. Smith he was needed; he was already out and working.

"Anything?" she asked as she settled in.

"Not yet, Sarah Jane," he replied.

* * *  
 _Previously . . ._

It was a familiar noise, but unexpected, so she couldn't help feeling startled when the TARDIS materialized right in the middle of her attic. As soon as the time machine was fully solid, the door flew open and out stepped the Doctor. He looked exactly the same as when she'd last seen him during that business with the Shansheeth, right down to the silly bow tie.

"Sarah! Hello!" He gave a little spin, then smiled at her warmly. "How are you?" 

"How _am_ I?" Sarah repeated. "Doctor, what are you doing here? What's wrong?"

"Wrong?" He looked momentarily annoyed. "Nothing's wrong. Why does everyone always ask me that? Can't I drop in on an old friend without them assuming something's wrong?"

"No," said Sarah. "Because we all know you don't do that."

"Of course I do that," he replied. "Here I am, doing that. Social call. Just popping in to say hello. Hello!" he repeated, then he grinned at her.

She had to laugh. "Well, whatever you're doing here, it's good to see you," she said, then she went to embrace him. He hugged her back fiercely, seeming strangely reluctant to let her go. When he finally did, he started wandering around the room, fiddling with her possessions. She sat down in a chair and watched him, wondering if she should be worried -- and only partly because he was messing about with breakable objects. 

"So, this is a social call, then?" she asked.

"Yes. I thought I should try some out. I rather like them. I probably should have started a long time ago."

"Probably," Sarah agreed. "Why have you started now?"

"Oh, Smith, you and your questions," said the Doctor. "The real question is, how are you? You never answered me," he complained, then he pointed his sonic screwdriver at the chimney and turned it on. A fanfare sounded, and Mr. Smith appeared. "Oh, now that's good. Yes, I like that. I like that a lot."

"I'm glad you approve," laughed Sarah. "Mr. Smith, meet the Doctor."

"It is good to meet you, Doctor," said Mr. Smith.

"And you," said the Doctor. "You're a Xylok? And fully equipped, I see. Yes, between you and K-9, you can alert Sarah to any danger to the Earth, can't you?"

"I have a fully capable scanning and tracking system. The dog is not needed," responded Mr. Smith.

"No, no, of course he isn't," said the Doctor in a conciliatory tone. "Still, it's always nice to have help. Speaking of which, where is K-9, Sarah?"

"He's with Luke," said Sarah. "Luke's at Oxford now. It's hard to be separated, but Luke's growing up, and he needs to make his own way. Mr. Smith keeps us in touch, though. And I have a new adopted daughter. Her name is Sky. I'd love for you to meet her, but she's at school. Although, if you can stay for tea . . . ?"

"I'm afraid I'm on a schedule," said the Doctor. "Not my schedule, but a schedule nonetheless." He looked distracted for a moment, then he switched gears again with the suddenness she remembered of old. "What about Rani and Clyde? Are they still helping you?"

"Of course," said Sarah. She looked at him curiously. "Why do you ask?"

"Isn't this what friends do in a social call? Catch up on the latest news?" He seemed to be genuinely asking, as if he honestly didn't know. "But yes, I think the Earth will always be safe as long as you're around to defend it, Sarah. You with your family and your friends." He beamed at her.

"We've become quite a team, haven't we?" she acknowledged. "Although I know you still save this planet from time to time. As you said, Mr. Smith is very good at tracking alien activity," she teased. "But I do think we've got quite good at it. After all, I learned from the best," she added, smiling at him fondly. 

"No, Sarah, you were the best," he replied. "You and all my companions, every last one of you. You were amazing with me, and now look at you, being even more amazing without me. None of you need me any longer," he continued, and a sudden look of sadness came over his face. Then just as quickly, it was gone again, replaced by an expression of pride and affection. "You don't need me, Sarah. You never really did. Remember that for me, will you?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, feeling suddenly apprehensive. "Doctor, what's going on? Why are you really here?"

"To see a very old and very special friend," said the Doctor. He embraced her again, then shut his eyes and gently kissed her on the forehead. "Remember," he repeated, and then he slipped into the TARDIS and was gone.

* * *  
22/04/11, 5:02 p.m. Lake Silencio, Utah.

Sarah read the display again, willing it to change. It wasn't possible. Mr. Smith was wrong. He _had_ to be wrong. Today was the 23rd of April.

"Scan all data and re-compute," she ordered, keeping her voice as emotionless as possible.

"Analyzing," Mr. Smith responded. Then: "Findings verified," he said. "Fixed point confirmed. I am sorry, Sarah Jane. The Doctor is deceased."

"No." 

It was as if a million emotions from inside her were all vying for expression, and all she could feel was shock. The Doctor couldn't be dead. He _couldn't_ be. Why, it'd only been a week since he'd come on that social call of his. 

If only she had found out about this earlier. If only she had been able to warn him somehow. Fixed points were impossible to change, she knew that, but if anyone could achieve the impossible, it was the Doctor. She believed in him. She always would. He could have avoided this, if only he'd known it was coming. 

And then she realized: he'd known.

* * *  
Sarah was awake and up the stairs before sunrise, as she was now every morning. She didn't have to tell Mr. Smith he was needed; he was already out and working.

"Anything?" she asked as she settled in.

"Not yet, Sarah Jane," he replied. "Although I did find a record made by a woman named Madge Arwell about an incident that happened during World War II. That time period is beyond the search parameters you set up, however. Do you wish the report anyway?"

"Yes!" Sarah exclaimed. "And stop sounding so smug." She grabbed at the documents that Mr. Smith produced, and then she was laughing and spinning around, heedless of the noise she was making. "Caretaker? The _Caretaker_?! Oh Doctor, you never really change, do you?"

"Is it him?" asked Sky, running up the stairs. "Did you find him?"

"It's him!" confirmed Sarah. "He's alive!" She grabbed Sky and spun her, too.

"Are you sure? Couldn't it be an earlier him, from before?" 

"It could be, but it isn't. Because then why didn't he call himself the Doctor? No, it's him, Sky; I know it's him. He's letting the universe think he's dead, but he's beaten the fixed point, just like I knew he could." 

Sarah hugged her daughter, then stood with her at the window, gazing out at the early morning. The Doctor had come to say goodbye; that was clear now in retrospect. And he had expressed faith in her ability to carry on his work, to continue to defend the Earth. But he had been wrong about one thing. He'd said she didn't need him, but she did. Not to help her; she was perfectly capable of handling the alien invasions without him. Nor did she need to see him again. She just needed to know he was out there. She needed to look at the stars and know that the universe contained mad and wonderful things, and the Doctor was the maddest and most wonderful thing within it.

Sarah hugged her daughter again, and together they watched the sun begin to rise. The universe was full of wonders still, and it hadn't shivered yet.


End file.
